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Talk:Army of Me/@comment-24742787-20140402054707/@comment-5483266-20140403232201
//I'm about to go all out in raging social justice warrior mode, so read at your own risk.// Ha...hahahahahaha. I'm sorry, I just can't take this seriously. So racial profiling isn't a big deal? Trayvon Martin was MURDERED because of racial profiling. In fact, this form of social injustice happens everyday and is the crux of many heinous crimes permeating the modern westernized world. How would you feel if you were unfairly scrutinized, attacked, and scapegoated for a crime you didn't commit due to the colour of your skin? Television does not adequately portray racial profiling because we belong in a generation that revels in ignorance. And ignorance is bliss. You are correct in acknowledging that America isn't as progressive as it's commonly perceived to be, but you've got it all twisted regarding the nature of its brainwashing. Not to sound dismissive, but your contention that white people are somehow discriminated against more so than actual POC and ethnic minorities is unbelievably offensive and a pathetic fallacy. Contrary to popular belief, there is a disparity between the words discrimination and racism: racism is not always synonymous with discrimination, which encompasses other forms of prejudice such as sexism. So many people construe this term as being made to feel bad about their identity or shamed for the colour of their skin. However, that does not always render it oppression. Being an asshole does not necessarily fall under an "ism". Racism signifies oppression exercised by societal power, which minorities simply don't have. Need I remind you that there's no such thing as black or asian privilege? The true definition of racism does not generally resonate with the American collective consciousness (although of course, there are exceptions to those that have actually taken the liberty to educate themselves on matters like these). Let's get one thing straight - racism is not solely defined by 'a hatred or intolerance of other races'. It also applies to when intolerance or prejudice in government laws, attitudes, and ideals of a society are ingrained in a culture to the point of where patterns of discrimination against another race is normalized. Another definition that you ought to make note of: racism = prejudice + power. Of course, people of colour can discriminate against white people. However, they do not and never have possessed the same kind of power that white people do: aka a structured system that supports them. Yes, white people can be mistreated and victimized by others. However it just does not suffice to apply the term "racism" with all its far-reaching connotations to their respective experiences. There is no system of oppression that actively works to demean, silence or subjugate white people. This is where the dichotomy lies between individual experiences and those of an entire community. "White people have to constantly watch their mouth so they don't offend others" - lol no. That's not discrimination. That is ensuring that they will learn to listen and be conscientous of others' feelings without spewing narrowminded vitriol like you just did in your post. Are you seriously insinuating that this minor precaution compares to the excess of trials and tribulations that POC have faced in their lifetime? That somehow white people go through just as much turmoil for having to check their privilege as those who had to fight for their freedom and the right to vote, the right to utilize their own voice, who had to pay extra taxes just to live in a country that's supposedly multi-racial and welcoming of all races, whose rightful lands were dominated and colonized by white people, who were beaten, raped, and persecuted in every way, shape, or form just for being a minority race? White people do not have to fight tooth and nail for their basic civil rights and liberties. White people have not lived through a history spanning over several centuries of racial prejudice perpetuated against them. If anything, it is an indisputable fact that white people have largely been the OPPRESSORS in hindsight. One must always take history into account when discussing racism. After all, how can we ever hope to progress in the future if we do not acknowledge or learn from the mistakes of the past? White people are given preferential treatment in media. POC do not have the luxury of equal representation and are often relegated to lesser roles whereas white people are cast as prominent characters and protagonists. The universal fandom mentality speaks for itself, wherein POC (especially women) are either under appreciated or irrationally hated compared to their Caucasian peers. You will come to find that POC who are placed at the forefront of a medium of entertainment are few and far between. Not to mention, we have been indoctrinated into a culture that idolizes a very whitewashed standard of beauty. We live in a society where the very same judicial system that prides itself on upholding the law have no qualms with turning a blind eye to white convicts while sparing non-white offenders no mercy. The fact of the matter is, POC are automatically at a disadvantage in social institutions such as the justice system. As much as we may try to deny it, race does play an integral role in how others perceive us; a fact which could not be more evident than in how the American courts go about "serving justice". Western culture largely endorses this notion of blatant racial or ethnic stereotyping. Black men are seen as hoodlums or gangsters, Jews are perceived as greedy, Indians and Native Americans (no, they're not the same thing) are savages or 'aliens', etc. These stereotypes have existed for hundreds of years and still prevail to this day. Now for the umpteenth time before anyone accuses me of "being racist against white people", I am NOT downplaying non-coloured people's experiences; I acknowledge that anyone is capable of prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination. However, keep in mind that white people do not face the institutionalized racism that POC do. When white people complain about reverse racism; they are not referring to the loss of their rights, but rather their already existing PRIVILEGE. That is the difference. Don't you dare minimalize the experiences of PoC who do encounter racism on a daily basis and are actively oppressed in every facet of their lives by an institutionalized power. It's one thing to express your opinion, but it's another to trivialize a very serious and prevalent issue that has plagued our society for thousands of years. Speaking as a woman of colour, I will not tolerate your marginalization of POC who have and still do suffer through extreme racial scrutiny and prejudice in this day and age.